great restaurants past

[skyrick]

So you knew Phil Renteria, yes? He was a great guy.

Did he work there then? What was his job?

[skyrick]

That's right!!

Ah! Yes! When I drove a beer truck for Rich Distributing, 1980-88, our warehouse was a little east of Meridian in that area. One payday about 5 of us went there to try it out. I didn't have Cajun food, but I did discover the sweetest seafood meat there is: Alaskan King Crab Legs!! It was as big as my arm if measuring from my short sleeve tan line, down to my wrist! The market price that night was $25 and worth every nickel!

[RealJimbo]

Did he work there then? What was his job?

I think Phil was a waiter/busboy/whatever. He told me he grew up there. Later he was in the printing equipment business. We used to go out to eat and he would go wherever Lupe was waiting tables. She was an awesome waitress.

[skyrick]

I think Phil was a waiter/busboy/whatever. He told me he grew up there. Later he was in the printing equipment business. We used to go out to eat and he would go wherever Lupe was waiting tables. She was an awesome waitress.

His name sounds really familiar. In 67-70 I was 14-17 yrs old. How old would he have been? And, hellyeah, Lupe Banda, the most in demand waitress at El Charrito. There was a line some days just waiting for a seat in her section. Then there was her Anglo sister-in-law, Barbara, and her red-haired sister, Marie.

[RealJimbo]

His name sounds really familiar. In 67-70 I was 14-17 yrs old. How old would he have been? And, hellyeah, Lupe Banda, the most in demand waitress at El Charrito. There was a line some days just waiting for a seat in her section. Then there was her Anglo sister-in-law, Barbara, and her red-haired sister, Marie.

I think you and Phil may have been around the same age. Phil passed about 16 years ago. A very aggressive heart muscle disorder took him out quickly. Great guy. We always thought he looked more Hawaiian than Mexican.

[OSUMom]

I miss the heck out of Piggys, in Bricktown before there was a Bricktown.

[jdcf]

Beef 'n Bun

What was the comparable place in Shepherd Mall? Bonaparte's?

What was the comparable place in Midtown Plaza where Irma's is now located?

[David H.W]

I have worked for El Chico's for over 14 years. I dined as a kid at Paseo. The food is prepared fresh throughout the day every day. We have been in business for over 70 years. I have seen lots of other restaurants come and go in that time. Our food is great.

[jdcf]

Beef 'n Bun

What was the comparable place in Shepherd Mall? Bonaparte's?

What was the comparable place in Midtown Plaza where Irma's is now located?

My bad. What was the restaurant comparable to Beef 'n Bun that was located in PLAZA COURT, where Irma's is located, not Midtown Plaza?

[USG '60]

My bad. What was the restaurant comparable to Beef 'n Bun that was located in PLAZA COURT, where Irma's is located, not Midtown Plaza?

Zorba's was there 20 or 25 years ago. Gyros, not burgers, though.

[skyrick]

Beef 'n Bun

Looooved the Beef and Bun, NW 23rd & Western, where Carnation Ice Cream used to be.

Even better was Lum's, further west on NW 23rd across from OCU.

[rocket-j-squirrel]

Gah! El Charrito was my favorite place to eat. I miss Gene, the waiter, swishing around the table trying to act all ''not gay''. I tried to set the record for the most days in a row to eat a Defeat and an iced tea. Fourteen was my limit. By day 7, I was bringing my Alka-Seltzer.

Best burger was Twin Hills grill. There was an old black lady shaped like a fire hydrant that cooked up the food. You'd order a cheeseburger and go sit down. When she dinged the little bell, she'd yell ''Cheeseburger!'' It was up to the diners to figure out who's cheeseburger it was. It got a little chaotic. I think she enjoyed the spectacle and the power that the flat grill gave her.

[skyrick]

Gah! El Charrito was my favorite place to eat. I miss Gene, the waiter, swishing around the table trying to act all ''not gay''. I tried to set the record for the most days in a row to eat a Defeat and an iced tea. Fourteen was my limit. By day 7, I was bringing my Alka-Seltzer.

Oh yeah, Gene. I loaned him my LP of Woodstock so he could record it on his "ca-setty" (that's how he pronounced "casette") tape recorder. When I brought it up to the restaurant for him, Florinda, our boss, got all freaked out about the picture of the nude swimmers on the back. She gave Gene a brown paper bag and asked him to put it in there.

Those were the days! Explorer - 2 enchiladas, rice and beans for $1.29 on Wednesdays. The Defeat, one enchilada and one cheese taco, was $0.99!

[jdcf]

My bad. What was the restaurant comparable to Beef 'n Bun that was located in PLAZA COURT, where Irma's is located?

Finally remembered...The Cornucopia.

Has Split-T been mentioned yet?

[RobertAPearce]

For all you Baby Boomers, do you remember Neds Pizza Restaurant on 30th and May ave(across from Northwest Classen HS). The best and cheesiest pizza ever. The pizza was patterned after Sussy's pizza in the 60's. Please let me know if you remember or have tasted anything as good as a Neds pizza.

I definitely remember Neds. Best pizza that I can remember. They were always fresh and hot, had cornmeal on the bottom so they wouldn't stick to your plate, 'cause of all the melted cheese!

My Dad owned a bar on the South Side of OKC, but we lived in far NW OKC. I would get to go down to the bar, even though I was only about 12 years old, on Saturday nights. After closing up, my parents would stop at Neds on the way home and I'd eat all the pizza I could get my greasy little hands on.

[ljbab728]

I definitely remember Neds. Best pizza that I can remember. They were always fresh and hot, had cornmeal on the bottom so they wouldn't stick to your plate, 'cause of all the melted cheese!

My Dad owned a bar on the South Side of OKC, but we lived in far NW OKC. I would get to go down to the bar, even though I was only about 12 years old, on Saturday nights. After closing up, my parents would stop at Neds on the way home and I'd eat all the pizza I could get my greasy little hands on.

I remember that it was the first place in my life that I ever ate pizza. For some reason it seems to me that maybe it might have been in the late fifties but I could be wrong.

[boscorama]

No mention yet of Adair's Cafeteria on Lincoln Bvd.

Did visit The Wilds near El Reno once. Am I correct in recalling a relationship with the old Underwoods on N Penn?

Carnation Ice Cream was on N Penn, around 28th.

[Prunepicker]

House of Chan on N Western

That was N. Penn, just west of it. It was a very good restaurant.

[ctchandler]

Boscorama,
I ate at the Adair's on Lincoln at least every couple of weeks when I was working in that area. I also ate at the one on N. W. 23rd between Walker and Robinson (I think).
C. T.

[Dubya61]

We used to go to the Kodiak up near Quail Springs Mall. Loved the menu and trying new things. Very disappointed that it failed or quit (don't know which). It was kind of pricey, but was always good food.

[RadicalModerate]

Remember how they dismantled Kodiak log by log and hauled it off to be re-assembled somewhere?
I wonder how all that turned out . . .

[Dubya61]

My wife was buying hay for our horses once and found her way to a property (don't know where, and her sense of direction is not the best) where she saw a big log cabin. She commented that it looked just like the old Kodiak, and the owner said, "Good, that's what it is."

[boscorama]

CT, the Lincoln Adairs is still there, has been Standard Testing for many years now.

A few blocks north was a motel/hotel, The 89er Inn, with a ponderosa look about it. A friend's father managed the restaurant, or I'd have never had a burger by the pool there.

[jdcf]

I had forgotten about The 89er Inn. We sometimes went there after church for the smorgasbord. It was outstanding.

[soonermike81]

wow, just read this thread for the first time and never even heard of a Shakey's Pizza in OKC. Must've been before my time? I then realized that this is the same Shakey's that I've visited in Japan and Hong Kong. Wow, wish it was still around in OKC; we loved that place! Always a great pizza whenever we were burnt out on Japanese/Chinese food.